From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals

Chapter 136: A Vale Monster

A long moment lingered in the dense forest, the air thick with tension. Kieran had the woman firmly pinned against the damp earth, her hand forced open, the knife clattering to the ground. Surrounded by towering trees and the distant echo of wildlife, she defiantly claimed,

"No, way. Our tech is set up to stop any creatures from getting through this area," her voice a mix of fear and resolve, "the only way it could have grabbed you is if you weren't human so why don't you just stop ly—"

Her words were abruptly sliced by a sharp, almost ethereal whisper through the air. In a swift, unexpected motion, Kieran was thrown off. She rolled across the leaf-strewn ground, leaving a disturbing trail of blood behind her, before crashing into the rough bark of a nearby tree. The impact echoed through the otherwise silent woods.

As she staggered to her feet, her breath ragged, a chilling presence loomed over her. A creature with skin like translucent crystal, devoid of eyes, stood imposingly. Its presence seemed to make the very air around it grow colder, its smile a grimacing twist of anticipation. "Food?" it queried in a voice that seemed to resonate with the eerie stillness of the forest.

The woman, her back against the unyielding tree, stepped back instinctively. She clapped her hands, a desperate defiance in her eyes. From the shadowy underbrush, an array of metal spikes emerged, propelled towards the creature with a lethal intent. But the creature moved with an otherworldly grace, effortlessly weaving through the deadly barrage as if dancing with the shadows themselves.

Closing the distance with unsettling speed, it grasped her jaw with a cold, unyielding grip. "Do you taste good?" it asked, its grimace deepening, revealing teeth as sharp and merciless as the spikes that had sought to impede it.

In the shadowed forest, terror was painted starkly across the woman's face. With a swift motion, she unclipped her dagger, its dark camo design melding with the surroundings. She lunged to slash at the creature, but in a horrifyingly quick moment, it severed her hand. The air was filled with her agonized scream.

The creature, with its unsettling smile, promptly devoured the severed hand, relishing it grotesquely. "Good, high quality meat," it remarked, its grin broadening.

Nearby, Kieran, still reeling, forced herself upright. A sharp pain atop her head drew her hand to a small root embedded in her scalp. Gritting her teeth, she ripped it out, blood beginning to ooze. "What the hell was that?" she uttered, bewildered and hurting.

Her attention then snapped to the gruesome scene. The woman, now clutched in the creature's relentless grip, bled profusely from her severed wrist. The monstrous being's grimacing smile contrasted chillingly with the woman's expression of sheer pain.

Kieran's confusion swiftly transformed into unbridled rage upon hearing the desperate cry for help piercing through the forest. The chilling echoes of "HELPPPP" resonated, igniting a fire within her.

Her bones quivered, animated by a surge of determination. Memories of Ty, pushing her away after a defeat, his words echoing in her mind, demanding she never let such a moment of weakness occur again.

Muttering under her breath, her eyes began a dramatic transformation. The blue receded, giving way to a fierce, glowing red. "Never again," she vowed, her voice barely above a whisper but filled with resolve.

In a blur of movement, Kieran shifted from her position. She vanished from where she knelt, reappearing in a blink right in front of the creature. Its teeth were mere inches from sinking into the injured woman.

With a swift, powerful motion, Kieran unleashed a resounding kick directly at the creature's head. The impact was instantaneous and catastrophic. The creature's head popped off, jetting across the forest floor, a dark blur against the greenery. It crashed into a giant 20-foot anaconda, which shrieked in agony as it was brutally split in half by the force of the impact.

.

In the aftermath of the violent encounter, the creature lay still, its hands sprawled out lifelessly. Kieran, her actions swift and focused, knelt beside the injured woman. She rummaged through her bag, pulling out first aid supplies. "You'll be okay, dear," she reassured, beginning to tend to the woman's wounds. "What the hell was that?"

The woman, still in shock, managed to stammer, "Y-you really aren't one of those?"

Kieran's response was tinged with indignation. "No, why would I be something that disgusting? I almost take it as an insult," she remarked, a slight huff in her voice.

The woman, her gaze now fixed on Kieran, noticed something unusual. "How about you tell me what's going on here," Kieran prompted, as the woman observed three intersecting lines in Kieran's right eye, their light blue hue contrasting starkly against the red glow.

"We're the national defense force, stopping these monsters from leaking into civilization," the woman explained, "but this has been the strongest creature yet."

Kieran, with a sense of urgency, helped the woman to her feet, wrapping the woman's arm around herself for support. "Well, let's get you back to wherever you normally rest so you don't get hurt anymore," she stated, ready to escort her away from the dangers of the forest.

Kieran, confident in her victory, was ready to lead the injured woman away from danger. "Uh, did you not see me pop its head?" she asked, her tone indicating she believed the creature was dealt with.

"That's not how this works," the woman explained urgently. "Those creatures regenerate slowly. The only way to kill them is by removing all of its flesh and crushing its orb. After you've 'killed' it, they typically lie motionless and can't fight back."

Before they could react further, the sound of snapping branches echoed. Kieran and the woman turned sharply, only to see the severed half of the snake flying towards them, the creature's face behind it, half-regenerated.

Kieran acted quickly. "Sorry, if this hurts," she said, giving the woman a soft tap on the chest, sending her flying 20 feet to the side for safety.